Filmed at its only European performance, in October 2009 at the Royal Albert Hall, this comedic oratorio is based on the Pythons' 1979 film Life of Brian. The music—with references to Haydn, Mozart, the Festival of Nine Carols, and Bob Dylan—is performed with overblown grandeur by the BBC Symphony Orchestra & Chorus. The story follows the tragic life of Brian Cohen (tenor William Ferguson), son of Mandy (mezzo soprano Rosalind Plowright), born on Christmas, in the stable adjacent to the Christ child. A reluctant revolutionary of the People's Front of Judea, Brian is mistaken for the Messiah and crucified. Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, and Terry Gilliam appear in multiple roles.